Northwest Indiana organizations are getting funding to reduce food insecurity, help people quit smoking and improve cardiovascular health. It's part of the Indiana Department of Health's second round of Health Issues and Challenges grants.
The Northwest Indiana Food Council will get $600,000 and the city of Gary's Youth Services Bureau will get $127,419 to address food insecurity and obesity. Meanwhile, the Porter County Health Department will get $31,842 for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Half a million dollars will go to Families Anchored in Total Harmony — the operator of FAITH Farms & Orchard in Gary — for its efforts to improve cardiovascular health.
The Indiana Department of Health awarded a total of almost $8.5 million dollars in this year's round. The Health Issues and Challenges program was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2021 with funding from the federal American Rescue Plan.
